The technique disclosed herein relates to a keyboard and an electronic apparatus, and more particularly to a keyboard and an electronic apparatus which includes the keyboard.
As a thin keyboard, a keyboard is widely used which uses a membrane switch. A membrane switch includes a plurality of sheets disposed such that two electrodes are disposed in a spaced relationship from and in an opposing relationship to each other. If a portion of the membrane switch at which such electrodes are disposed is depressed, then the two electrodes are placed into contact with each other to output a signal. In a keyboard which uses a membrane switch, such electrodes are disposed at positions corresponding to individual keys such that each of them outputs a signal when a corresponding key is depressed.
Such a keyboard as described above includes a key top guide mechanism for supporting the key tops so as not to be inclined in order to assure an inputting property and operability. In a thin keyboard, for example, a slide mechanism or a pantograph mechanism is used as the key top guide mechanism as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-75980 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1), particularly in FIG. 8 and so forth.